Clutch wrench



Dea 30, 1924. 1,52L33l R. F. SEDGLEY CLUTCH WRENCH Filed Feb 26 l 921 ATTORNEYS CII Patented Dec. 30, i924.

Vnarra-n stares ,rarsnrerries REGINALD F. SElGLE-Y, OF PHILADELEHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLUTCH WRENCH.

Application tiled February 2, 1921. Serial No. 447,924.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that FEGINALD F. SEDGLEY, a citizen ot the United S yates, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia., State ot Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Clutch Wrench, ot which the tollowing is a specification.

My invention consists ot a novel construction oit a clutch wrench which can be cheaply manufactured, is composed ot a ininimun'i number of parts, which will be durable and effective and which can be utilized ior all the purposes to Vwhich a ratchet wrench ot a more expensive character is adapted, my novel wrench being so constructed that it may be used tor either tightening or loosening nuts, bolts or the like by simply swinging the wrench handle back and t'orth throughl relatively small arcs, provision being made for the automatic or manual separation or unlocking ot certain of the parts vat the proper periods during the actuation ot' said handle, in ord-er to eiiect the actuation ot the wrench or wrench socket to the desired extent. My invention in its broad and generic scope comprehends a novel construction of a clutch wrench wherein I employ two relativelyT rotatable members which are adapted to interlock with each other to prevent relative rotation in either direction, one ot the members being adapted t-o receive a device to ettect its rotation and the other of said members being adapted to receive or be connected with the part which is to be rotated. A spring is preferably employed to etl'ect the n'iovenient of one ot' the inembers to cause the member to become unlocked but this can be dispensed with it desired and this unlocking action is eitected manually by the actuation ot the member which drives the other inembei.

My invention further consists ot a novel construction ot a clutch wrench, adapted for all the uses of a more expensive ratchet wrench, wherein l employ a plurality or" members which are normally held out ot engagement or unlocked by a spring or the like, but which are provided with uXtaposed interlocking faces adapted to be pressed into engagement or into locked position, when desired, according to the direction in which it is desired to oscillate t-he wrench handle.

It further consists ot other novel features ot construction, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth. y

For the purpose ot illustrating my invent-ion, l have shown in the accompanying' drawings Jforms thereof which are at present preferred by me, since they will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrument-alities ot' which my invention con-- sists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization ot these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Figure l represents a vertical sectional view of a clutch wrench, embodying my in vention, certain ot the parts being shown in elevation.

Figure represents a perspective view ot the outer casing of the wrench seen in Figure 1.

Figure 3 represents a perspective view ot the upper actuating sleeve, the spring and the lower plug detach-ed from their casing, showing the vmanner ot assembling these elements. A

.Figure t represents a vertical sectional view of another embodiment ot mv invention. L

Figure 5 represents a perspective view ot the actuating sleeve and the lower reactingl member in detached position.

Figure G represents in detached position a perspective view ot the pair oit disks and spring employed in et.

Figure T represents a side in section, of the wrench Figure l.

Figure S represents a side elevation, partlyv in section, oi' another en'ibodin'ient ot inv iiivention. l

Figure 9 represents a side elevation oi another en'ibodiment ot my invention.

Figure l0 represents averti `al sectional view of Figure 9.

Similar numerals ot reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings l designates my novel construction et wrench, the .saine comprising the handle port-ion 2, which is connposed ot the straight member 3 and the bent or deflected portion 4, having the abutments or upset portions 5, which limit the extent oi movement ot' the handle terminal 6 with respect to the sliding actuating sleeve 7. The handle Q is pieter ably ot polygonal or hexagonal shape in elevation, partly socket, seen in cross section and ils lower terminal (i is adapted .tor insertion into the polygonal or hexagonal opening 3 which extends through the actuating sleeve 7, as will be understood from Figures 1 and 3.

The actuating sleeve 7 is composed ot the lower cylindrical body portion 9' and the ripper cylindrical portion 10 of reduced diameter, whereby the shoulder 11 is formed,`

which abuts against the inturned upperl lip or flange 12 of the casing 13, the latter being milled at its upper and lower portions, it desired, as will be understood trom Figure 2.

The lower portion ot the polygonal or hexagonal opening 8 ot the sleeve 7 is ada-pted to engage 'the similarly shaped top portion or head 14 ot the plug 15, which has the lower cylindrical portion 1G ot preferably the same diameter as the cylindrical portion 9, said plug 15 being secured in the bore ot the casing 13 by means otthe screws or other Vfastening devices 17. `The spring 18 which is contained within the bore of the casing 13 normally causes the acuating sleeve 7 to assume the position seen in Figure 1, it being apparent that a downward pressure on the handle 3 will cause. the parts 3 and 14 to interlock, so 'that when the handle 3 is oscillated in either direction, the actuating sleeve 7 the plug 'l5 and the casing 13 are Figure 7, said socket being provided with the spring pressed spring'40.

It willy be seentrom the foregoing, that the parts normally appeall as seen in Figure 1, or in unlocked position and that if the handle 3 is oscillated in either direction, no rotation will be imparted to the plug 15, the casing 13 or the socket 21.

It, however', downward pressure is exerted upon the handle 3 and the actuating sleeve 7 against the tension of the intermediate spring 18, the lower portion ot' the polygonal seat 8 will interlock with the polygonal extension 14, whereupon the handle 3, the sleeve 7, casing 13, plug` 15 and socket 21 can be turned as a unit in the desired direction, and the nut or the like rotated to the desired extent. Upon removing the pressure from the handle 3, the parts again assume the unlocked position seen in Figure 1, whereupon the handle 3 can be oscillated in the desired direction, then pressed downwardly and the parts` again interlocked, so that further rotation in the desired direction may be imparted to the socket 21.

In the construction seen in Figures 4 to (i,

the casingby the-ring 26, which contacts with the shoulder 27 formed at the unction of the cylindrical portions V28 and-29 as will beunderstood from Figure 5. The bottom periphery ofthecylindrical portion 291 ofY the sleeve 24 is provided with` the teeth 30, which are adapted at the proper intervalsl to mesh or interlock with the teeth 31 of the socket member 32, the latter having the.

polygonal or hexagonal opening33 therethrough. A

The upper portion of the said spring contacting with disk 3G, said disks 36 and 34 seating on shoulders in the operating sleeve 34y and the member 32,

as will be understood from Figure 4. TheV member'32 is immovably securedwith respect to itsl enclosing casing 33 by means of Y ot the member 32 has a disk 34 seated therein, upon which rests the bottom end ot the spring 35,' the upper end the screws or similar fastening devices 37, r

as will be Vunderstood from Figure 4.

The object'ot the provision olf' the ratchet-,i-

teeth 30, 31 is to enable the clutch wrench', seen in Figures 4 to 6 to be used as a ratchet wrench in somewhat closer quarters and for iner adjustments than the wrench seen in Figure 1 might `be adapted to', and its mode of operation will be understood from the descriptionof Figui-e1, the locking and nn- Y" locking of the teeth and 31, enabling the wrench to have the same `itunction as the locking and unlocking of the equivalent elements '8 and 14 seen in Figurev 1. i

In the construction seen in. Figure 8, I have shown thethandle 41, as being provided at its opposite end with a polygonal or hexagonal hole 42 therethrough, which is adapted to engage the polygonal Vor hexagonal* end 43 of the stem 44, the 'latter having Vthe upward extension 45 ot I reduced diameter, which terminates in the head 4G, there beingV a spring 47 interposed between said head 4G and the upper portion ot the stem `44,the lower portion oi" which yterminates in the socket me1nbe'i'48. 'n i In the construction seen in Figures 9 and 10, I have shown another embodiment ot my invention, the outer casing being designated as 49 and the polygonal or hexagonal memturned flange 'or lip 53, said sleeve which is ot' the same contour as the polygfY onal hole lt will be seen from the foregoing that when an implement is inserted in the polygonal opening and a socket is placed on the polygonal huh 50 and pressure exerted on the sleeve 52, said pressure will torce the sleeve 52 towards the polygonal extension 57 which will engage the polygonal hole or bore 5% and be interlocked therein, so that the parts 50, 57, #t9 and 52 will rotate in unison or as a unit, and the nut, bolt head or the like engaged by said socket can be readily tightened or loosened to the desired extent, by oscillating the handle implement in different directions, the parts being intermittently caused between the movements of the handle to assume the position seen in Figure l0, in which position the handle and the members 50, 5l and` 57 can be rotated in either' direction to the desired extent without actuating the sleeve 52 and the nut or the like engaged thereby.

lt will thus be seen that in the various embodiments ot my invention, l make provision 'tor a freely rotatable member to be normally held by a spring out of engagement with or unlocked from the member coacting therewith, which is adapted to be intermit tent-lv locked and unlocked when pressure is exert/ed upon the spring separating said members. lt will ot course be apparent that while l prefer to employ a spring this spring can be dispensed with it' desired and the parts will interlock upon relative long1- tudinal movement toward each other so that they will be prevented :trom rela-tive rotation in either direction and when an actuating device is applied to one ot said members, moved towards the other member and rotated, the two members are rotated as a unit in the same direction.

lt will be understood that the clutch wrench seen in Figure l can be used without the socket 2l, in case the polygonal opening in the bottom ot' the plug l5, lits the nut to be actuated, which is also true ot the embodiments seen in 1Figures 4t and l0, or it desired different sized sockets of the character seen in Figure 7 may be employed in the constructions seen in Figure at and l0',

lt will now be apparent that I have de departing from the snirit or scope ot the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

aving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a clutch wrench, a casing, a member having a polygonal surface, lixedly secured in said casing, a member rotatably mounted in said casing and having a polygonal hole therein adapted to be engaged by said polygonal surface and a spring contained in said casing and normally holding said members apart said members being incapable oi relative rotation when interlocked and said rotatable member having means to receive and interlock with an actuating member.

2. ln a clutch wrench, a rotatable actu-' ating sleeve having a. polygonal opening` therethrough a casing in which said sleeve is mounted, a plug tixedly secured in said casing and having an upper polygonal head aligning with said polygonal opening and a. spring between sai d sleeve and plug.

In a clutch wrench, a casing, a rotatable actuating sleeve therein having teeth on its lower periphery and a polygonal hole therethrough, a lower member having a polygonal hole therethrough, fixedly secured in said sleeve and having teeth on its upper periphery, juxtaposed to the teeth in said sleeve, disks seated in said sleeve and lower member and a spring interposed between said disks. i

t. In a clutch wrench, a casing, a polygonal member secured in the top thereof, and having an upward and downward polygonal extension, a sleeve rotatably mounted in said casing, and having a polygonal opening therethrough aligning with said downward extension and a spring intern'iediate said downward extension and sleeve.

5. ln a clutch wrench, a casing, a rotatable sleeve in its lower portion having a hexagonal opening tl'ierethrough, said casing having an inwardly dedected bottom flange to retain said sleeve in position, a hexagonal member secured in the top o said casing and having a downward extension aligning with the opening in said sleeve, and a spring located between said sleeve and the top of said casing.

6. In a clutch wrench, a casing, a member free to rotate with respect to said casing, a. member fixed to said casing and adapted to interlock with said rotatable member to prevent relative rotary movement of said members in either direction, one or". said members having a polygonally shaped opening adapted to receive a working tool and the other of said members beingadapted to receive and interlock with an actuating member, and a spring to eliect relative movement of said members to unlock them,

said. members kwhen locked rotating as a Ving7 a member fiXecl tosaicl casing andk adapted to interlock with saicl rotatable member to prevent relative rotary movementof said members in either direction7 both of said members being adapted to receive Working tools,fa.nd a spring to effect relative Q movement of said members to unlock tl1em,- said members Y when locked rotating a unit'.V

REGINALD F. sEDGLEr'.

Witnesses E. HAYWARD FAmANKs, C. D. MOVAY. 

